


Wash Away Your Fears

by Muffindragon227



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Flustered Gray, Moody Juvia, Set During the one year time skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-13 07:43:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7968268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muffindragon227/pseuds/Muffindragon227
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"That's why Juvia wears practical clothing on missions instead of such revealing outfits."</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>"Can you really still make that claim?" Gray asked with a knowing smirk. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Juvia gave him a confused look before her eyes widened, and a vibrant blush coloured her cheeks. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>"That's Gray-sama's fault! He shouldn't tease Juvia about such things!" </i>
</p>
<p>Or the night Gray suffers from foot in mouth disease and keeps digging himself into a new hole. </p>
<p>
  <b>Prompt: Gruvia bathing together</b>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wash Away Your Fears

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set about 4 months into the 6 months they were living together. So I’ve tried to find a good balance between where they were before the timeskip and where they are now in the Manga.

“Oi, Juvia! You okay? What’s taking so long?” Gray called out as he stood up to wade through the water, back towards the hot spring entrance. Just as he was about to climb out from the water and go look for her, Juvia popped her head out from the change room.

“Juvia’s fine… she’s just…. EEP!” Juvia instantly flushed a deep red and clamped a hand over her mouth, as her eyes wandered up and down his naked body. 

Gray had to fight back a smirk. It amused him that, even though they’d been living together for a few months, the sight of him naked still made her blush. It was his own way of secretly paying her back for all the times she flustered him with her actions. 

“Do I need to come get you?” He asked, and this time he couldn’t suppress his smile or his laughter as she squeaked yet again. Blue locks whipped about as she shook her head vigorously in response.

“No! Juvia can get in herself! It’s just…” She bit her lower lip and peeked up at him from under her thick lashes, a bright pink staining her cheeks. “It’s just Juvia and Gray-sama have never bathed together before. Isn’t Gray-sama nervous?”

Gray scoffed and turned his back on her to hide his own blush. He wasn’t nervous, after all he’d bathed with other girls before, and it wasn’t like Juvia hadn’t seen him naked. Still this wasn’t the same as bathing with Lucy or Erza, and there were definitely a few other words that sprang to mind that described how he felt. Not that he was about to admit it to her.

“It’s really not a big deal. Not like I haven’t seen a naked woman before. But if you’re uncomfortable just leave your towel on.” 

“Who has Gray-sama seen naked!” Gray felt a sudden chill run up his spine. Slowly he turned and found himself face to face with the angry water mage. He let out a small yelp of surprize and stumble backwards, landing hard on his ass in the water. Gray didn’t have much time to recover though, as Juvia stalked after him, and angry glare fixed on her face and steam rising from her body. He continued to crawl backwards hoping to keep some space between them but soon found himself cornered at the other end of the spring.

“Who has Gray-sama seen naked?” she repeated, bending down so that their faces were inches apart. Gray’s heart was hammering in his chest; both out of fear of her sudden anger, and because of the view he now had of the tops of her breasts, covered only by the white towel wrapped around them. 

Her own insecurities were clearly forgotten but Gray became hyper aware of his own issues with their situation. He was far too focused on worrying about her looking down to really give proper thought to his answer, instead blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

“Erza, Lucy and Wendy!” 

Juvia blinked. “So many…” 

Juvia suddenly stood up, her hand clutching her towel to her body protectively. Her frown had morphed into an angry pout and her eyes were staring off at some distant spot in the water. Gray took advantage of her sudden lack of focus and shifted a hand between his legs to hide his erection. Once he was certain he was covered he glanced back up at her. Her entire stance was tense and he suddenly realized what he had just admitted. 

“It wasn’t a big deal! Natsu and our client were there too! It was just a bath, Erza use to bathe with Natsu and I all the time as kids. We’re family! And Wendy’s just a little kid… I mean I didn’t even see anything, she was underwater, and I’m not about to peek on her! I’m not a pervert!”

“And Love Rival?” Juvia had fixed him with a pointed stare and Gray felt another shiver run down his spine. He wasn’t sure how, but sometimes Juvia was scarier than Erza. 

“Tch, I can’t even count the number of times I’ve seen her naked at this point. Her clothes are constantly being destroyed on missions. I'm actually starting to think Natsu does it on purpose.” 

Juvia's frown only deepened and Gray could hear her muttering. "That's why Juvia wears practical clothing on missions instead of such revealing outfits."

"Can you really still make that claim?" Gray asked with a knowing smirk. 

Juvia gave him a confused look before her eyes widened, and a vibrant blush coloured her cheeks. 

"That's Gray-sama's fault! He shouldn't tease Juvia about such things!" 

"Oh, come on, it's kinda funny. Besides everyone teases me about it." Gray couldn't keep the smirk from his face as Juvia got redder and redder. 

"Juvia has never teased Gray-sama about his stripping habit!" She countered, pouting. 

"True, but you could never tease me about anything." He continued to smirk at her enjoying having found a topic that turned the tables on her. 

"That's because Juvia knows Gray-sama hates it when others tease him about it. Gray-sama is constantly defending himself and having to tell others that he's not a pervert. Juvia thought that if anyone would understand how she feels it would be Gray-sama but he's just like everyone else." At this point Juvia seemed genuinely distraught. Gray didn't miss the tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she whirled around, quickly making her way back towards the exit. 

His heart clenched and he started to panic. He hadn't intended to upset her, and his mind couldn't process the sudden change in her mood. He didn't think he was being mean. 

Gray watched her retreating form and lurched after her instinctively. He wasn't about to let her walk away from him crying. 

A few quick strides brought him within reach of her and he gripped her wrist, calling out to her, "Juvia, wait!" 

She tugged forcefully in an attempt to free herself from his grasp and he was forced to hold on tighter. 

"Juvia, please! I'm sorry, I was just teasing. I don't know why you're getting so upset about this!"

Juvia had stopped struggling to get away, but she refused to turn and look at him. Her breaths were shaky and her entire body was tense. 

Gray took a step forward, leaving mere inches between them. His hand slipped from her wrist to her hand and entwined his fingers with hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze. Months ago he would have never dared such intimacy. Even now the actions were awkward, and despite his concern he couldn't help but be hyper aware of their states of undress. 

He could make out the soft floral scent of her hair, and he was sure she could feel his breath fanning her neck. Not for the first time, the temptation to lean down and cross that invisible barrier between friends and more called out to him, and he wondered briefly what she would do if he reached out and peeled her towel from her skin. But this certainly wasn't the time for it. 

His voice was husky as he broke the silence. "Talk to me Juvia."

Her shaking breaths where the her only response. The silence lingered between them and Gray was sure she wasn't going to answer. 

"Juvia doesn't tease Gray-sama because Juvia understands how it feels to be teased about something you can't control." 

Gray wanted to hit himself for his stupidity. "Right, your rain."

Juvia shook her head, "Not just Juvia's rain. When Juvia was a child she couldn't control any of her magic. The more upset she was the less control she had, and well... Juvia's water body... it's a type of transformation magic... so when Juvia first learned it she..." Frustration was laced through her voice as she struggled to tell Gray what she wanted to. 

Finally she turned around to face him. Her cheeks were crimson red, and she struggled to meet his gaze. Despite her efforts to maintain control a few tears managed to slip down her cheeks.

She swallowed hard. "Juvia initially couldn't transform her clothes into water."

The statement hung between them as Gray tried to process exactly what she had just said. All at once realization dawned on him, and he felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. She understood his feelings because she'd been in the same situation! And if Gray got agitated being teased by his Nakama, he could only imagine how Juvia must have felt being picked on for yet another reason. 

He pulled his hand free from hers, but quickly slipped it around her waist, pulling her to him. She tensed and tried to look up, but his free hand came up and guided her head to his shoulder. He buried his face in her hair and stroked the soft locks.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” he murmured. “You’re right, if anyone should be understanding about how you feel it’s me.”

Slowly Gray felt her relaxing in his arms, and then the floodgates broke and she started sobbing against his chest. He flinched and cringed internally, wishing he had just kept his mouth shut, and that he could pass her off to someone else; someone who knew what to do to comfort a crying woman. But he stayed put. His hand continued to stroke her hair and the other caressed her back in circles through the towel. 

He refrained from saying anything, knowing that his words would more than likely just make things worse. Instead he just held her, breathed in her scent, focusing on the feel of having her in his embrace. 

It was kinda nice holding her like that. It would have been nicer if she wasn't crying but he supposed he owed her. 

After a while Juvia sobs gradually dissipated, but Gray refused to let go and Juvia didn't seem inclined to move. His hands continued to stroke and caress her, and the two of them enjoyed the peaceful moment between them. 

“Thank you.” The words were whispered, and her breath ghosted across his bare chest. 

He shifted to be able to look at her face, and she tilted her head to meet his gaze. A lump formed in his throat, and without thinking his hand moved from her hair to brush away the tear streaks that stained her cheeks. 

She just stared at him wide eyed, with her cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of pink. It was so tempting just to lean down and close the distance between them. Instead Gray turned his head, his own cheeks heating up; he really needed to stop thinking like that.

“Yeah well…. it’s the least I can do.” He risked glancing up at her, and found her smiling at him. That smile that she always seemed to have, the one reserved just for him, and he smiled back. Finally he released her from his embrace, and grabbed her hand pulling her back towards his initial resting place. “Come on, we still need to wash up. I’ll even get your back for you.”

A high pitched squeal erupted from behind him and Gray flinched at the volume of it. “Gray-sama wants to wash Juvia!” 

Suddenly her arms were around him and her figure was pressing into his back. He swallowed hard and desperately tried to keep his mind from wandering, and failed entirely when her lips brushed against the shell of his ear. “If Gray-sama wants he can wash other parts of Juvia too.” 

Heat flooded Gray’s cheeks and he could feel the rest of his blood rushing south. The only decent thought he could manage was that Juvia’s mood swings were going to be the death of him.


End file.
